The Legend of Zelda: Shadows of Hyrule
by LegendsofRandomness
Summary: The door to the tomb was shut, and the men hurried off into the desert. One thing was certain; they would never go near that cursed grave again." A sequel to Twilight Princess.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: No, we do not own Twilight Princess of any of the Legend of Zelda characters listed here. We own... the zero in HauntedChicken0234 and the w in WittyPirateBanter. And even that's debatable.**

_Edit: We are conforming to the rules of writing and have now spaced the dialogue correctly. Hoorah._

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**Prologue**

"_**Do not think this ends here… The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"**_

_**- Ganon (Ganondorf)**_

_Link… the hero chosen by the goddesses., Once again he has defeated the evil wizard Ganondorf with the help of the Light Princess Zelda and the Princess of the Twili, Midna. It has been no more than a year after the dictator Zant was taken from his throne, and Link has spent this peaceful time working as a ranch hand in the Ordon Village. He no longer trains with the swords master of the village, Rusl, but instead practices by protecting Ordon from the demonic creatures that live in the woods. He is now training both Colin and Talo in the art of swordsmanship. The world is finally free to be at peace. But, a shadow is lurking deep in Hyrule, waiting for the chance to strike with hate-filled revenge._

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While it was deep into the night, the desert sand still felt as if it were on fire. Hastily, seven of the ten guards gripped the edges of a large stone coffin and lifted it off the ground. Not one man wanted to perform the duty of burying the sorcerer, but they had no choice in the matter. Princess Zelda had assured them that no harm would come to anyone, yet they couldn't shake off the fear that enveloped each of their hearts. Could a wizard bring himself back from the grave? They did not know the answer, and they didn't want to find out.

They carried the coffin to a stone wall that struggled to stay above the sands. It looked like nothing more than a desolate ruin, but the men knew otherwise. Instinctively, one of the guards pressed on a small stone in the ruin, and the rock sunk slowly into the ground. Behind it was a dark cave, with stairs that spiraled downward into a maze of corridors. One of the men lit a lantern. Carefully, they walked down the steps and navigated through the many passages.

Finally, the men reached their destination; a small room furnished with only two parallel lanterns. Shakily, the men dropped the coffin on the ground and rushed out of the room, quickly locking it with a bejeweled key. Sighs of relief echoed throughout the cavern, and the guards hurried out of the dungeon. As they did, they failed to here the soft clinking sound as the key hit the floor.

The three men left to patrol the outside of the elaborate tomb greeted the seven guards in relief. The door to the cave was shut, and the men hurried off into the desert. One thing was certain; they would never go near that cursed grave again.

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"Is this how you do it, Link?" Talo asked as he sliced the air with his wooden sword and tripped on a stone jetting out of the ground. Link shook his head and laughed.

"Come on, Talo!" Colin said, "_This_ is how you do it," He slashed at a nearby scarecrow, slicing off its pumpkin head, and turned to look at Link, who nodded in approval.

"Excellent job, Colin," stated Malo, leaning on the back of a tree. "But you've got a long ways to go before you even get _close_ to Link's level."

"I don't suppose _you _could do better, Malo," Talo taunted. Malo shrugged. "I'm far too busy maintaining Malo Market to play with swords."

"Okay, then," Talo said, "but when those evil monsters from the woods capture you because you weren't armed, don't come crying to me."

"If I was captured by evil monsters, I wouldn't be going to get help from _you,_" Malo said, smiling, "I'd get help from the best swordsman around; Link!"

Link smiled and turned to look at village, its villagers bustling about to get their daily chores completed before dinner. The peace that seemed to envelope the world felt strange, almost absurd, but Link didn't mind. Twi and Light were in harmony, time was flowing smoothly, and Ganondorf would never be around to destroy Hyrule ever again. In fact, there was nothing – nothing at all – that could destroy this peace. He turned to see Talo sprawled on the ground again. Then again, he could be wrong.

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The desert sand sparkled with moonlight, and a light breeze swept through it. The only sound that could be heard was the ominous tone of footsteps along the wasteland path. Silently, a lone figure approached the ruins of a stone wall, his face shadowed by the mask he wore. He felt along the stones with a small hand, looking for something he did not know. Finally, he found it; a small stone that fell inward. He pressed it, and the wall caved into the desert sand, leaving a passageway wide open. The shadow entered.

The figured walked down the first flight of steps and proceeded down the many halls in this dungeon. As he turned a corner, two Darknuts that had crawled inside the cave appeared. Not intimidated in the least, the figure raised his hand. There was an inhuman cry, and the first Darknut was reduced to nothing but ashes. The second Darknut raised its sword, frightened.

"Go…" the shadow whispered, and the Darknut did so. The dungeon fell silent once again to the sound of the figure's footsteps. The creature continued through the passage, stopping at a locked door. He turned around to leave, but felt something against his foot. Looking down, he noticed a key, sparkling in the dim fire of the dungeon. Picking the key up, the shadow placed it in the keyhole and turned it. The door swung open, welcoming its new guest, and the figure stepped inside.

The room was lit by two small lanterns. Inside sat a stone coffin, whose shadow crossed the floor in the fire's light. Slowly, the figure stepped into the shadow. Taking a small bottle out of his sleeve, he opened it and poured the contents onto the coffin's lid. Silence enveloped the room as the figure waited. Minutes, maybe even hours went by. He turned to leave, but as he did, a sound broke the silence. It came to him like a wisp of air.

"You…" At the sound of the voice, he smiled. "You… have come…" The shadow turned towards the voice, and nodded slightly.

"My lord," he said, bowing deeply at the force that spoke to him, "I have readied your throne as you wished. The moon is as dark as the night itself, and our time is long. We may leave at any moment you wish." There was a pause. The figure stayed on his knees.

"I cannot leave…" the whisper told him. The smile twisted into a frown underneath the figure's mask.

"My, lord, how can that be?" He asked, "You yourself said that death could never hold you." Another pause ensued. The shadow stood, waiting for a response.

"It is not… death… that holds me…" the voice told his servant, "The sages… have placed… a spell on this tomb… and I… am trapped here. Bring me…" it commanded, " a vessel… For I… cannot leave… until a vessel… is brought to me…" The servant nodded in understanding.

"I will find you a vessel, my lord… but who shall I send to you?" He waited for his master to speak.

"Bring me… the Hero… of Twi…" the whisper told him. The words faded away into nothing, and the shadow was left standing in the tomb. He bowed once more.

"I shall bring you the Hero of Twi, my lord Ganon," he told the voice. With a smile across his face, he left the tomb.

"_Oh, yes…"_ he thought, "_I shall bring you the Hero of Twi…" _And a laugh echoed into the darkness of the night.

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Please review! We would love to hear your thoughts on how you think this story is going. :D


	2. Chapter 1: On the Road Again

**Disclaimer: No, we do not own Twilight Princess or any of the Legend of Zelda characters listed here. We own... the zero in HauntedChicken0234 and the w in WittyPirate Banter. And even that's debatable.**

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Legend of Zelda: Shadows of Hyrule

By: HauntedChicken0234 and WittyPirateBanter

Chapter 1: On the Road Again

"… _**I have a favor to ask of you, Link. I was supposed to deliver something to the royal family of Hyrule the day after tomorrow. Yes, it was a task set to me by the mayor, but… would you go in my stead?" **__**-**__**Rusl **_

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Link fell onto the ground, exhausted. He could barely feel the grass of the Ordon Plains. Talo and Colin looked down at him, smiles across their faces.

"Come on, Link!" Talo said, pulling on Link's arm, "Get up! Just show us the Helm Splitter one more time! We'll get it! Please?" Link groaned, rolling his eyed. After at least four hours of training, he was too tired to shoo the two boys off, let alone train.

"Link!" a voice shouted from across the field. Link turned his head to see Rusl running towards him. "Hey! Link! Get up!" Link groaned, picking himself off of the ground. Rusl ran up to, catching his breath before continuing.

"Hello, Link. I'm glad to see that your helping to teach Colin the art of swordsmanship." He gave Link a pat on the back. "However, I'm afraid I have to cut your lesson's short. For you see, Colin needs to finish his chores."

"But _DAD!_" Colin shouted, stomping his foot stubbornly on the ground, "Link was about to show me the Helm Splitter!"

"Aw, don't feel bad, Colin," Talo laughed, "Maybe Link can show you the Helm Splitter later, _after _he teaches me how to use it! " Link groaned. He never wanted to perform the Helm Splitter again after this last training session. Rusl gave an indifferent chuckle and looked straight at Talo.

"Oh, yes. Talo, your father wanted me to tell you that he wanted to see you. I believe it had something to do with his pumpkin patch?" Talo's smile was instantly wiped off his face. Rusl continued.

"Next time, I think it would be wise not to use your father's pumpkins for sword practice." Talo glared at the ground and muttered something incomprehensible. Rusl raised an eyebrow.

"Well boys, I'd say that you should go back to the village. Now." Before Rusl could say another word, the boys sped off into the distance. Once they were out of earshot, Rusl let out a loud snicker.

"Now that those two are out of the way," he said, turning back to Link, "I have a favor to ask of you. But first, are you busy today? Link shook his head. Since the goats had been herded, Ganon had been sent to the grave, and the children were off doing who-knows-what, he was free for at least today, if not tomorrow. Rusl gave an approving nod.

"All right then," he said, "I need you to run an errand for me." Link raised an eyebrow. Last time Rusl had sent him on an errand, it ended up turning him into a wolf and facing an evil wizard who almost killed him quite a few times.

"Here what I need you to do," Rusl continued, "Take this letter to Telma, in Hyrule Castle Town. I know it's a bit far," he added, "and I would do it myself, but I'm very busy here at the village. If you take Epona with you, you should be back by nightfall." Link pondered this for a moment, but, seeing no danger in taking a letter to Telma, silently agreed. He nodded, taking the letter from Rusl's possession. His eyes lingered on the small piece of parchment for a few seconds before putting it into his bag.

"Thank you very much, Link," Rusl said, "Send Telma my regards." He smiled, "I'm quite sure she'll be happy to see you." Link shuddered silently, then turned to Rusl and smiled back. Rusl patted Link on the shoulder and walked away towards the village. Link watched as he left, the man's shadow disappearing behind a tree near the gate. Without further ado, he pulled up a long piece of and blew a few notes of Epona's Song. The sound of hoof beats came fairly quickly, and he hopped on to Epona. With a flick of the reins, they were off.

Luckily, the ride to Hyrule was uninterrupted. He saw only one mindless Bulbin walking around in circles in the fields, and it seemed that the Mailman was on holiday break. It wasn't long until Link found himself dismounting from his horse and entering the busy market streets. It was the same as it always was; shoppers busily grabbed things off the shelves, common vendors sold their unique goods, and the apple basket that Link could never bring himself to pick from was still sitting in the market square, untouched. He walked down the right alley, ignoring the small group of shady characters summing him up with their beady eyes, and the three fan girls he vaguely remembered from the Star Game. He walked down a small flight of stairs and found himself at the narrow entrance of Telma's Bar. Quietly, he entered and right away noticed that, like the rest of Hyrule Castle Town, the bar had changed very little. He turned, looking for Telma, only to find that Telma had found him first.

Suddenly, he found himself half-crushed, half-dying in a very tight embrace. "Link, darling!" Telma cried. Link pried away from Telma, gasping for breath.

"Hey, sweet cakes! It's been ages!" Telma said, smiling, "Where ya been? And what brings you to Telma's Bar?" Link drew out the letter in response to Telma. He handed it to the lady, who ripped the seal open. As she read, her cheeks turned a bright pink. She put the letter down and looked back up at Link.

"Well, how nice of Rusl to send me a letter." Telma simply said, "I should write him back one!" She pulled out a sheet of parchment and some paper.

"While I finish this up, why not say hello to some of your old buds. They keep comin' around here, chatting, discussin' things. I haven't a clue what they're up to." Link glanced at the curtain that split the room in two. Friends? He had no idea what Telma was talking about. He pulled back the curtain and stifled a gasp. His '_friends_' , Ashei, Shad and Auru, were crowded around a small table piled with colorful maps, although few of them seemed interested in what they were discussing. Ashei was carving her name into the arm of her chair with a sharp knife, her usual pessimistic expression plastered on her face, as well as a vague hint of emotion. Aura sat slouched forward in his chair, studying the map with some interest. Shad was pulling up maps left and right, chattering away about his plans to the two barely-breathing figures. Link walked into the center of the room.

Ashei was the first to acknowledge his exsistence. "Well, if it isn't Link?" she said, putting the knife back on her belt and shaking Link's hand, "It's been a while since I last saw you, yeah?" Auru looked up from his map and smiled.

"Link, my boy! How have you been doing? What brings you to Telma's?" Link didn't have time to respond, as Shad pulled him to the table, where a bright yellow map laid on top of the other maps.

"Link! Just the man I wanted to see!" Link raised an eyebrow, his glance pointing at the maps and charts on the table. "Ah yes. That's exactly what I was about to tell you. You see, I… um… _discovered _this map, you see, while I was… um… researching the Oocca's architect." Shad glanced away, then turned back to the other three, smiling, "At first, I didn't notice anything remarkable about it… but then I found… this." He pointed at a small X on the map. "It took some time, but I was able to translate those words. For you see, this map is nothing less than a treasure map! The X lies over the ruins of the ancient Gerudo civilization!" He looked at Link, a gleam in his eye. Link didn't like the look of it at all.

"The reason I wanted you… well, I wanted to ask you if you would like to join our expedition." Link gave Shad a shocked look. Were these people were trying to kill themselves? The Gerudo Desert was full of bulbins, bomb-plants, and other monster. They wouldn't even last five minutes in the scorching heat!

"Please join us, Link! I'm only asking you because Auru said that you have gone there before." Link glared at Auru, who shrugged in response, before turning back to Shad. Shad continued.

"You must come, Link! You're one of the only people who knows the desert well enough to escort us through it relatively safely. Please." Link thought for a moment. He had no burning desire to return to the Gerudo desert at all, but still.... He looked up to see the trio eyeing him. Shad was giving him a particularly pathetic look. Link sighed. It couldn't hurt to help them – well, maybe it could – but he knew that he would never be able to talk them out of this expedition. He was their only hope.

Link nodded in response, and Shad cheered, "YES!" as loudly as he could. Ashei and Auru stood up. "Well, there isn't a better time to head out than now. Let's head out together." He shoved the map into Shad's hands and began to walk out.

"But wait," Ashei said, "How are we even supposed to get there? The bridge to that land was destroyed centuries ago, and the only way around is about a month's long travel." She sighed, already thinking that this expedition would never work. But Auru smiled despite her questions. "I happen to know a very fast way to get to Gerudo Valley," Auru said, smiling. Link's eyes widened. "And what would that be?" Shad asked. Auru's smile widened. "Let's just say, I hope you all enjoy air travel."

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**Please review! We would love to hear your thoughts on how you think this story is going. :D**


	3. Chapter 2: Dangerous Sands

**Disclaimer: We no own. You no sue.**

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Legend of Zelda: Shadows of Hyrule

By: HauntedChicken0234 and WittyPirateBanter

Chapter 2: Dangerous Sands

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"Under no circumstance will I ever do this!" Shad cried, hanging onto the frame of the cannon with all his might. His fingers ached, and he was sure to get splinters, but he didn't care. Air sickness was much worse than a few bloody fingers.

Auru had led the group to the cannon fixed at the border of Lake Hylia and the Gerudo Desert. The waters were plain and still, and all Shad and Ashei could see was a floating, out-of-shape cottage connected to the mainland by a few wood bridges. There was a obtuse man in a clown suit – Fyer, he called himself – standing at the entrance, and he had smiled at the sight of the group. Shad now knew why.

"Oh, for the goddesses' sakes, Shad!" Auru exclaimed, trying to shove him into the cannon's entrance, "What… about… the treasure?"

"Treasure isn't worth the value of my life!" Shad replied. Ashei looked up at the sky, trying to hide her disagreement.

"This… _cannon _can't possibly be safe," He grasped the edges of the wooden fence around the cannon's entrance as Auru tried to slam him inside once more.

"Come now, this cannon is perfectly safe," Auru explained, "Besides, the man here's got a license." He pointed at Fyer, who stood near his music box. Fyer waved a small piece of stamped paper in the air and stuffed it down his pant leg.

"You're pathetic, Shad," Ashei said, twirling a piece of her hair around indifferently, "Who's idea was it to search for treasure in the Gerudo Desert?" She kicked at a frog that had crossed her path. The amphibian quickly fled into the lake's waters, sending ripples through the surface as it swan away. Sighing in boredom, she picked up a rock and began to examine it.

"That's quite a group of friends you've got there, kid," Fyer whispered to Link. He chuckled in amusement. "Quite the show they're putting on now. It's a good think they pay well." He winked, and walked back to his music box.

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"No… please!" Shad screamed as he was flung into the cockpit of the cannon. Before he could move, Auru ducked inside and pinned him to the wall in order to prevent his escape.

"Quickly, get inside!" Auru commanded. Ashei shrugged, throwing the rock into the lake before stepping inside the cannon. Shad screamed again, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Ashei.

"Wimp…" She muttered, resting on the back of the cockpit. Link stepped inside. The door to the outside world closed with a powerful thud, and the cannon rocked back and forth.

The cockpit was only a large hole made of petrified wood. It's overall design had been meant for one – maybe two – people, and the group struggled not to become claustrophobic. Only the sound of breathing and Fyer's footsteps could be heard.

"Will you get off of me!" Shad suddenly shouted, throwing Auru's hands off his shoulders. Ashei sighed indifferently, content to stare at the floor. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped as the faint sound of carnival music hummed in the background. His eyes went wide. Seeing Shad's expression, Auru couldn't help but laugh.

"Get ready," he said, tensing his muscles and bracing himself for the shot.

The cannon jerked suddenly, throwing the group around the cockpit. Slowly, the roof of the cottage opened, and the cannon was raised upward. It threw itself into position, pointing itself directly at the sun. Before anyone could react, it fired.

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Four cries mingled together as the four were blasted into the air at a high velocity. Even Link couldn't fight the impulse to scream. Shad and Ashei screamed the loudest, too terrified to notice that their flight was almost over. As quickly as it had begun, the ride ended, sending the group hurtling into the sands of the Gerudo Desert.

Link was the first to drag himself out of the sand. Spitting sand out of his mouth, he struggled to his feet and attempted to brush the sand out of his tunic. A muffled cry came from somewhere below him, and Link noticed a pair of hands waving frantically out of the ground. Quickly, he grabbed the two and pulled out Auru, who thanked him while gasping for air.

"I didn't expect such a rough landing," Auru stated, brushing sand out of his hair (although there wasn't much hair to brush), "Now, where are Shad and Ashei?" His question was answered by a surge of coughing, and turning, he saw the two picking sound out of their teeth.

"Well," said Shad crossly, "That was, perhaps, the most _uncomfortable_ ride I have ever been in."

"It could have been worse," Auru stated, "But that story is for another day. I hope you two have our bags," he added, looking at Shad and Ashei expectantly.

"We don't have them," Ashei said, "We thought you had them." She shrugged, and walked away from the group, gazing into the desert.

"Well, we don't," Auru stated plainly.

"Oh no," Shad said. He looked around frantically for the bags. "All of our water was in those bags… and the maps, too! If we can't find them, why, we'll be lost here forever! We'll all perish in the sands of-"

"Found them!" Ashei shouted. Using one hand to shield her eyes from the sun and the other to point, she gazed up at a large stone ruin. The rest of the group ran up to her.

"There doesn't appear to be any way for us to climb up there," Auru declared, looking at the sheer face of rock.. "Maybe, if we had some sort of rope, we could climb up." He turned to Link.

"See? This is why we needed you on our team, Link," He smiled. "I'm sure you have something in those pockets of yours that could get our bags down." Link nodded, and pulled out a strange device. It was ornately decorated with symbols and patterns, and it was shaped like a metal hand. A handle on one side was used to hold on to it.

"The Hookshot…" Shad breathed as Link aimed the Hookshot at their bags. He pressed a button, and the claw shot out of the handle. As it reached one of the bags, it closed, and retracted with enough force to topple the bag down from the rock. Almost immediately, Shad rushed over, checking if the contents inside were damage. Luckily, none of the bags or their contents were broken. Each member of the group picked up a bag and strapped it to their backs. Shad pulled out his map unraveled it.

"It's time to decide our course of action," Shad explained. The explorers' eyes followed his finger as it pointed to the far east.

"It's about… a mile in the northeast direction from here to reach Arbiter's Ground. After that mile, we'll have to make a ninety degree turn and continue from there, making another turn at about-" He stopped suddenly as a strange tremor began to shake the desert. It flowed through the sand, growing stronger with every vibration. Slowly, the group turned around, unsure of what they would see.

A collection of black dots lined the horizon, but as they came closer, their shapes became clearer. A pack of nearly twenty Bulbo's and their riders tore the desert into shreds as they approached. Shad's eyes went wide at the sight of the monsters, Auru backed away, and Ashei tried to hold her indifferent look on her face. Link unsheathed his sword and stood in the line of fire, waiting for his chance to strike.

A hand grabbed Link's arm and pulled him away from the Bulbins. Turning, Link glared at Shad, who looked back with both worry and fear.

"There's no way you can beat all of those Bulbins!" Shad exclaimed, "Especially not without Epona!" He tugged on Link's arm and broke into a light run. "C'mon!"

Link looked back at the mass of Bulbins coming their way. Sighing, he sheathed his sword and ran after the rest of the group.

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**Please review! We would love to hear your thoughts on how you think this story is going. :D**


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